The Usurper
by Sky's Penname
Summary: A broken knight disobeys a gentle queen. Based on the Exiled Queen neutral end where Undyne takes the throne.


"Ah, you must be Undyne," a sweet kindly voice called out. She hated that voice. "I'm glad you're here."

"Yes, _Your Majesty_?" The knight replied, full of a resentful acid, unhidden to either of them. She bowed her head ever so slightly before the Queen, a tight frown on her lips.

Toriel faltered. This knight didn't even attempt to hide her contempt. But, her anger was understandable. From what she read and heard from the other knights, the Captain of the Royal Guard was very close to Asgore.

"I-hm…" Toriel's words needed to be chosen carefully here. "Please, you can call me, Toriel," the Queen said, voice filled with respect and honey.

A sharp clank. "I will not." _She treats me like a fool._ _She treats_ _ **him**_ _like a fool. She treats all the Underground like fools!_ "You are the queen, aren't you? You must be addressed as such." A lone eye glared.

The Queen frowned, startled. She wasn't ready for this reaction. She wasn't ready for any of this. It had been so long since she heard these royal titles, and even longer since she spoke like one deserving. "If that will make you feel more comfortable," she conceded, struggling.

"It won't."

* * *

The days since the human left the Underground had been stressful on the newly appointed queen. Monsters everywhere were shocked at the loss of their king. Some found that loved ones had gone missing. All Toriel's searches turned up nothing.

Except dust.

 _Would the human really do such a thing?_

She found it hard to believe. The human that she had spent time with was such a sweet and innocent child. They harmed no one in their path, avoided Froggits, talked with dummies, even ate their veggies. However, in the ruins there was no order to capture a human.

Toriel's mind wandered at the possibilities, her feet following along her aimless thinking as well. It had been such a long time since she returned Home. So many memories. They left a bittersweet taste in her chest. The stone walls of the corridor, the wooden planks of her home, and that beautiful garden stayed the same as ever, even after so many, many years.

Eventually Toriel's thoughts brought her to a balcony overlooking the beautiful golden garden. The stained-glass doors were opened wide in a careless fashion. It seemed she wasn't the only one exploring the interior today.

Undyne stood tall over the balcony's railing. Her crimson hair billowed in a light breeze from the outside above. Strangely enough, a red cloth danced along next to her hair, almost emulating her heroic stature. Toriel didn't notice this in her first meeting with Undyne.

A scarf?

Their first encounter wasn't completely pleasant, for many reasons that Toriel knew. Maybe now, after a few days had past, she had time to heal. With slight hesitation, she spoke.

"Good morning, Undyne," Toriel mustered up, her voice low but cheerful.

The knight barely craned her neck, single eye staring back at the Queen. A muffled grunt escaped her lips and nothing more. She went back to staring at the garden. _What a strange sight_ , Toriel thought. A serious knight brooding on a balcony with a cheery scarf prancing and hopping happily in the breeze around her neck.

Toriel nodded to herself. It was a great conversation opener. "That's such a pretty scarf," she complimented. Her smile, while forced, remained sweet and polite. "It matches your hair wonderfully, like a little dancing partner!"

A pause. "Is this really the time for that?" Undyne growled, suddenly clutching the red cloth with a frightening intensity. "Pointless banter."

Once again, Undyne was insulted by a seemingly harmless question. Toriel, admittedly, felt ashamed. Had she grown so out of touch with her people? Had her time alone in the ruins made her unable to speak with fellow monsters?

"I apologize, I merely wanted…" the words streamed out of her muzzle dumbly, and she realized every word spoken merely angered the knight ever more. "I will leave you be, for now." With a silent sigh, Toriel turned to escape this trap she had set for herself.

"That's not what I meant," Undyne said, halting the Queen in her tracks.

Toriel's mind raced, trying to understand. "Hm?" she mumbled, desperate to keep appearances, but failing.

"What are my orders." It was more said than asked. Almost a demand.

To her own displeasure, Toriel's reply came out a stutter. "Oh, of course! I, um…" In truth, she did not know how to use the Royal Guard to their full potential right now. RG-01 and RG-02 were already searching for the missing monsters, and the other royal guards were stationed in their usual positions.

Undyne let out a heavy sigh. Disappointed. "Forget it. I'll figure it out."

With a clank of armor and a dramatic twirl of her scarf, Undyne stomped out of the balcony and down the hallway. She never looked Toriel's way.

The Queen gave one last look out to the garden, noticing a few flowers had started to wilt. _Asgore would know how to tend to the flowers better than I_.

* * *

Golden petals drooped, their brilliant color dimmed by death. Not many flowers died, but their dark splotches stained the once perfect garden. Toriel looked after them to her best ability, but she simply did not have the time or knowledge. She sighed.

Still, she wouldn't allow it to get her down. It was a beautiful day. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming. On days like these, old ladies deserved a nice cup of tea. Toriel wasn't always one for tea, but ever since she returned to the castle, she couldn't help but miss the taste.

Her eyes focused on the black stains in a sea of gold. If only…

Metal clanked against concrete. Flowers greeted the knight with a bow, a gentle gust of wind blowing from the surface. "Your Majesty," Undyne greeted absentmindedly, her eye lost in that golden sea. The scarf fluttered sweetly near her ear, as if whispering sweet nothings to her.

"Good day, Captain Undyne," Toriel nodded, placing her teacup down on the table she sat at. The knight didn't appear irritable today.

With the jerk of her head, Undyne glared again, but her gaze fell upon the tea instead. Her frown softened, muscles relaxed. "Is that tea?"

Somehow, the question sounded so innocent. Nothing at all like the leader of the Royal Guard that Toriel was getting so used to. "Yes, it is," she smiled. "Would you care to join me?"

Undyne grimaced, about to decline. A lone breeze brought the scarf near her face, urging her to reconsider. _The flowers missed her_. "Sure," she said at last, taking a seat across from Toriel.

The Queen was pleased, feeling at ease with the knight for the first time. "Oh, good! I've made too much anyway," she giggled lightly. "I wouldn't want it to go to waste. That would be _tea_ -rrible."

Undyne glared. The scarf snapped around her angrily.

Toriel cursed herself silently. It was so easy to forget that not everyone liked puns, especially this Undyne. She poured the pot nervously, her paws letting out the tiniest of trembles. A drop of tea missed the cup and landed on the table. The dark spot ruined the beautiful cloth. Undyne stared at it.

 _Why must I act like a frightened child around her?_

The knight craned her head back and swallowed the tea in one loud gulp. A light flashed in her eye. "Not bad," she noted.

At least she could do something right! Toriel inwardly let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I know it's nothing like my husband used to make." Undyne cringed at the word 'husband.' "Asgore might have been a foolish old man, but he knew how to make a good cup of tea."

" _Don't speak ill of the dead_ ," Undyne growled, spear hand gripping tightly over nothing.

Toriel cursed herself again. _The only old fool here is me._ How could she speak so plainly about the old King? Of course, to her, he was just a husband, but to Undyne?

"You are right, I apologize." Toriel nodded.

The knight simply grunted in response, looking at her empty teacup. Empty.

"He loved you, you know," Undyne said. "Asgore. Never talked about you, but I could tell."

Toriel let out a deep sigh. "I know."

For a while, the two women simply sat in the garden, watching over that golden sea. Memories of the past filled her with joy and sadness alike. It appeared Undyne felt the same way.

"Why do you think I lived?" Undyne asked suddenly, still staring deep into the flowers.

The question caught the Queen off guard. Was Undyne even asking her? "I'm sorry?" was all she could muster.

The knight turned to Toriel, expressing a sincere concern. "Why didn't the human kill me?" Undyne appeared so confident and sure of everything, yet now uncertainty took her. "Why did the human kill some monsters, but spare others? Why didn't the human kill _you_?" It was almost an accusation.

That was a question Toriel still struggled with every day, and she believed it would be something that would haunt both their minds for the rest of their lives. What could have possibly caused things to lead up to this?

"I am not sure," Toriel admitted, looking to her tea for answers. There were none. "Maybe because I tried to be kind."

Undyne sneered. "I don't think that was it." Through gritted teeth, she continued. "I think I lived because I was strong. Because I showed no fear, didn't allow it to trick me. I forced it to flee." A pause. "I failed to kill the human myself, but I was too strong to be killed. That _must_ have been it. The others let the human get too close. They didn't know any better. It wasn't their fault."

Toriel frowned. That couldn't be right, but she didn't wish to upset the knight. "Maybe it is best if we do not overthink it."

For the first time, Undyne agreed with her. "Yeah."

It is easier said than done.

* * *

When there was almost nothing but bad news day after day, Sans' visits felt like a blessing. Toriel rarely found time for breaks between meetings and listening to her peoples' requests. Many monsters simply wanted a shoulder to cry on. A Chilldrake who lost his son came to her today, hoping the royal guards might find him. Toriel and the father knew better, but kept up the façade of hope.

She comforted him the best she could. Old wounds opened, but she hid them well. Toriel's shoulder was always there to cry on, but her shoulders felt heavier and heavier each day. Only one strange little monster could lift her spirits.

Her dear friend was a stout skeleton who had often told knock-knock jokes with her on the door to the ruins. Though it was only a few days ago, it felt as if years had gone by. Sans would come at the same time every day with a new joke, or just to talk about mundane things. In that lonely world, those jokes were all she had. Although, ever since finally meeting him, something felt strange.

He laughed, but it wasn't as genuine. Not like it used to be before. And he never talked about his brother anymore.

"hey, tori, what's black and white and red all over?" Sans asked, sitting back lazily in his chair. The garden was peaceful today, the perfect spot for a tea break.

Toriel stifled a giggle, already knowing the answer. "Sans, I am quite the old monster. In fact, I probably invented this one! It's a newspap-"

"a blushing penguin." The skeleton grinned.

The Queen nearly fell out of her chair, giggling uncontrollably. Undignified hiccups, ill-fitting of a ruler, escaped her, flying towards the bright light above. In that moment, all her troubles were gone, everyone's troubles were gone. She wasn't a queen, she was just an old lady again, sharing tea with a close friend.

"liked that one, huh?" Sans huffed, finding her laughter infectious. "found it after i fell off my dinosaur."

Another hiccup. Oh, goodness, she would need to get rid of these before her next meeting! But for now, she held onto them, the laughter strengthened her, lifted her problems away. She would never forget them, of course, but they didn't feel quite so looming anymore, so heavy.

A sharp voice called out through the garden, slicing their laughter in half. " _Your Majesty_ ," it hissed. "Working hard on the Underground's problems, I see."

Undyne.

Toriel scrambled out of her chair, as if she was caught plotting treason. "Oh, Undyne, it's -hck!- so good to see you! Do you have any news to -hck!- report?" She cursed herself again and again, wishing these dreadful hiccups would leave her.

The knight glared. Though this time, it wasn't at Toriel for once. Her glare focused squarely on Sans. "What are _you_ doing here?" she growled, scarf waving at the shorter skeleton.

For the first time in her life, Toriel witnessed Sans go quiet. His smile remained, but his eyes were dark. It was clear he tried to hide it, but he stared at that scarf. Stared hard. It frightened Toriel, but Undyne felt nothing.

"i'm on break," he said quietly. No joke, no sarcastic quip.

"You were fired," Undyne said bluntly. "You were an embarrassment. Now you waste the Queen's time, mine, and all of the Underground's. Haven't you done enough damage?"

Sans shrugged. He did not wish to speak anymore.

The uneasiness in her stomach at least cured Toriel of those hiccups. "No, no, it is quite all right, I asked him to be here."

Toriel almost wish she hadn't spoke up. Undyne's piercing gaze was now directed on her. "You shouldn't spend time with this _fool_." Her tone gave it all away though. ' _A fool for a fool, a coward for a coward, the perfect match.'_ Undyne grimaced, disgusted.

"gotta go," Sans said. Toriel looked over, hoping to stop him, change his mind, beg him to stay, but he was already gone, as if he was never there.

The scarf waved goodbye.

* * *

The halls of this castle-like structure could be so lonely, but the home of her former husband was lonelier still. Toriel found it much easier to think and plan her next moves if she walked. It allowed her to meet new faces, grow closer to the subjects she had distanced herself from so long ago. Even if she was often met with sad faces.

However, on one of her walks, she found herself stumbling upon Undyne again. Memories of their meetings filled her stomach with an uneasiness that left only shame. Queen of her people, yet she was terrified to speak to the captain of her own guard.

On this day, she felt weaker than usual, doubted herself too much. More reports had come in. More dust. Shame gripped her throat again, and the Queen stood behind a slightly open door. Neither Undyne nor her Royal Guard underling had noticed her.

A strong queen should be able to barge in at any time, demand to know what they were speaking of! But… was Toriel a strong queen? Had the years been too unkind to her? Cursing herself, the goat monster eavesdropped on the unsuspecting guards. An old familiar guilt pushed down on her shoulders as she listened.

"Anything to report?" Undyne asked, her voice sounded hopeful. Toriel had never heard the knight captain this way. That scarf dangled delicately at her back as well, mingling together with her hair, making a crimson waterfall at her back, washing over the dark metals.

"The usual, Captain," a gruff voice replied, his voice charred and brutish. She recognized that voice! RG-02! He was always so quiet. He must have felt more comfortable in Undyne's presence.

There was a strange pause, a heavy silence that threatened to swallow the knights whole. Absentmindedly, Undyne held her scarf and asked, "Any sign of her?"

Another long wait. "Nothing, I'm afraid."

There was a strange light metal clanking heard in the room. What on earth was that? Toriel focused her eyes, saw Undyne trembling, her gauntlet curled into a fist. "It's been more than a week, and no one has seen her."

"There's still a chance," RG-02 said, but even his stoic voice broke with hopelessness.

Undyne nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. "Keep looking, then."

"Yes, Captain." RG-02 nodded and made his way out. Toriel panicked, hiding behind a pillar, more ashamed of herself than ever.

Once she was sure the guard was gone, she resumed her watch through the doorway at Undyne, all alone.

The warrior was alone now. Head in her arms, she clutched the scarf with such a tight hold that she threatened to rip it. She was alone. "Damn it!" Undyne screamed, smashing the stone desk underneath her fist. She was alone. "Damn it! Damn it! _Damn it damn it damn it_!" She roared until her voice was nothing more than an animal's wailings alone in the wild. Her gauntlets were cracked, alone, and bloodied.

Unable to hold the weight of that strange familiar guilt anymore, Toriel left Undyne alone.

* * *

She dreaded the moments Undyne needed to be called in. Weeks had gone by, and the Captain of the Royal Guard showed no signs of an improved attitude. It seemed Toriel's mere presence alone enraged the warrior. No matter how polite she was, no matter how royally she appeared, Undyne's eye spat in her direction.

Just thinking about this meeting alone gave her many a sleepless night. Toriel wanted only the best for her people, but Undyne seemed to think otherwise, doubting her decisions at every chance.

"I'd like to propose a new policy for the Underground," Toriel started, standing before a table of important monsters. One of those monsters being a certain Captain.

Most of the monsters at the table were quite agreeable. Whimsalots always followed her orders, supported her ideas, and even at times helped improve. Madjicks had a bit of trouble paying attention, but they appeared more or less on her side. Even the Final Froggits, while very strange, very quiet and very thoughtful creatures, nodded along with Toriel's words.

But there was always Undyne.

"Haven't you changed enough?" she interrupted. Despite the relatively safe atmosphere, she refused to take off her armor. The black sheen of her metal plates shone like a wild thing. "Things were just fine before."

This, of course, caused the other monsters to doubt her as well. Whimsalots stayed loyal, but Madjicks grinned with a strange delight, pondering her words mischievously. The Final Froggits appeared even farther lost in thought.

The rest of the Royal Guard was all too eager to support her.

"She's right! (She is!)" Dogamy and Dogaressa barked, sharing a single chair together. "Things weren't so bad before! (I was happy enough!)"

Even Greater Dog panted and drooled, tail wagging happily.

It was hard to take it as anything other than an insult.

"I'm sorry, but I have not even told you what the policy is," Toriel said through strained tones, feeling the room already turning against her. "Please, at least allow me that."

"Don't need to," Undyne growled, lone eye focused on the spear in her hand. She never seemed to let that thing go anymore. "The old King's rules were just fine."

Surely, she could appeal to some of the monsters' sympathies! "Please," she sighed, feeling humiliated.

"… Let her speak, Captain," the dragon monster huffed. He was usually quiet during these meetings.

"Bro!" A bunny knight close by yelled too-loudly. "You, like, sure bro?"

Undyne grit her teeth for a moment, but proceeded with a nod. "Fine. Go on, _Your Majesty_."

Her tone was as hate-filled as ever. Although that wasn't what worried Toriel. A sudden cold realization ran through her. _Who runs the Underground? Me? Or her? Can the monsters tell the difference?_ That lone eye glared her way. _Can_ _she_ _tell the difference?_

Regardless, Toriel had no choice but to make her voice be heard, now. "I think our policy on fallen humans needs to be revisited."

Metal smashed against wood. "Nonsense!" Undyne hissed, her armored fist covered in splinters.

"It must be," Toriel continued, unflinching. If there was one subject she would stand strong for, it was this. Her eyes met with Undyne's own righteous fury. "It's possible we could have avoided disaster in the first place if things were different."

This sent the black knight into a rage. "You dare?!" she roared, throwing her chair back as she took a towering stance, spear at the ready.

Nobody came to Toriel's defense.

The Royal Guard, originally meant to protect their ruler at all costs, now stood dangerously close to attacking the Queen. Still, she would not back down.

"I do," Toriel continued, anger spiking in her voice. Insubordination could not be tolerated anymore if she truly wanted to rule, if she truly wanted to help the monsters of the Underground. "King Asgore's rules placed our fellow monsters in danger."

"What would you know?!" The warrior shouted, taking a step forward. The rest of the Royal Guard merely watched, awaiting word from their captain. "You don't know anything about the Underground anymore! You don't know what we've suffered!"

Her words struck a blow to Toriel. True, they were. Toriel lived in solitude in the ruins for generations, barely speaking to others for the most part. But Toriel was still a queen. She had suffered her own tragedies as well.

"I know that threatening a human can cause them to act defensively," Toriel countered. "What if they had acted in self-defense? What if they never meant to hurt anyone?"

Undyne clenched her fists so tight, it looked as if her claws would break through her own gauntlets. "Did Lesser Dog seem like a threat to anyone!?" She whirled to face Greater Dog. His tail drooped, muzzle sagged. "Did Shyren seem like the type to hurt anyone!?"

Even the Whimsalots couldn't meet her gaze.

Undyne gripped that bright red scarf. Eye distant, gone to the past. Her words were barely audible. "He wouldn't hurt anyone."

Toriel shook her head. She would not budge on this issue. "I am sorry, I truly am, for the monsters lost. I will not speak ill of them." She clutched her fist absent-mindedly, near her pocket where her phone used to be. "But the human could have been frightened. Monsters were ordered to capture them! To treat them as the enemy!"

At that, Undyne let out a booming laughter. It was a dark, spiteful thing. "You're more of a fool than I thought, lady!"

Toriel fumed, a fire burning in her eyes. "I will not be spoken to in such a manner! I am your queen! You have undermined me in front of my people for long enough!"

The warrior didn't hear. "You're not my queen. You're not my ruler."

Toriel's eyes widened with shock. She knew Undyne was wild, but this? "I advise you to watch your words, Undyne. You're speaking of treason."

"I know _exactly_ what I'm saying!" Chairs screeched against the tiled floor as the Royal Guard rose around their captain, albeit slightly unsure.

A team of Whimsalots fluttered before Toriel, shaking their heads. The Madjicks simply vanished away in a puff of smoke, while the Final Froggits hopped back, attempting to avoid the confrontation all together. A lone Knight Knight arose from her slumber, armor screeching against stone. Mace in hand, she stood silently before Toriel, guarding the Queen with a quiet intensity.

Toriel's mind reeled. How could this happen? How could she lose control so easily? She only wanted to help monsters and humans alike! She wanted to make a better world where tragedy and hate were no longer common!

"Am I truly so horrible?" she asked, unable to take a defensive stance against her own kind.

"No," Undyne spat, her spear crackling with energy. "But you are a fool and a coward, unfit to rule. You ran from your duties and left Asgore to rule alone. Asgore may have been a fluffy pushover, but he did what needed to be done." She took another step forward. "You? What did you do? Run. _You_ let the human in. It's _your_ fault that they…"

The knight's words trailed off. For the first time, Toriel understood Undyne, and they shared that strange familiar guilt. _I could have stopped this. I could have done better._ The scarf tightened around Undyne's neck, urging the knight to reconsider. She loosened its grip, slightly. Only slightly. _Sorry._

Undyne shook her head, but the memories would never leave her alone. Her voice went hollow. "Revenge won't bring her back." The scarf huddled close to her neck, alone and frightened by the fight soon to unfold. "It won't bring _anyone_ back." That lonely eye flared with the energy of a just hero, alone on the battlefield. "Still, I won't allow the past to repeat itself."

Toriel fell silent.

"Will you step aside, or will I have to use force?" Undyne threatened, a real danger behind those fangs.

Toriel motioned to the Whimsalots and Knight Knight. "Stand down." With a slight hesitation, the Queen's guards lowered their weapons. "I will not have any more dust fall if I can help it."

Undyne's voice was filled with conviction. "Neither will I."

* * *

It was a revolution that went quietly into the night.

Toriel did not spare much time in leaving the castle, only stopping to gather her journal full of jokes, and dropping a quick visit to a certain room, where toys sat in a chest, covered in age-old dust. When she headed for the entrance of Asgore's home, she stopped.

Undyne was there to see her out.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Toriel asked, unable to keep her voice from pleading.

Undyne narrowed her eye. There was no breeze this evening, leaving her scarf completely still. "We've both made our choices." She shifted, metal clinking harshly in the quietness. "Don't act like you care."

Toriel felt a spark of ire. "I have never pretended otherwise."

The knight clenched her fangs, then lifted her arm. The glowing spear was held tight, it's point wicked sharp.

At that, Toriel's instincts shouted at her. _She would attack me now. After assuring everyone that things would end peacefully._ No other guards were around. She tightened her fists, fire magic gathering.

Undyne pointed the spear opposite her, straight out the door.

"Don't come back this time." Undyne's voice was low. "I'm sure your friend is waiting for you."

Toriel's pulse lessened. _Perhaps I am truly not ready to be a leader again._

Still, with dignity, she walked down the steps, past Undyne and into the garden. She stepped carefully, avoiding trampling the delicate flowers, even those that were wilted and dull.

She left New Home for the second time, feeling Undyne's eye pierce through her back.


End file.
